(a) (1) The provisions of this section, insofar as they relate to employment, shall be operative in any county in which the board of supervisors by ordinance finds, on the basis of employment conditions, the state of the county jail facilities, and other pertinent circumstances, that the operation of this section, insofar as it relates to employment, in that county is feasible. The provisions of this section, insofar as they relate to job training, shall be operative in any county in which the board of supervisors by ordinance finds, on the basis of job training conditions, the state of the county jail facilities, and other pertinent circumstances, that the operation of this section, insofar as it relates to job training, in that county is feasible. The provisions of this section, insofar as they relate to education, shall be operative in any county in which the board of supervisors by ordinance finds, on the basis of education conditions, the state of the county jail facilities, and other pertinent circumstances, that the operation of this section, insofar as it relates to education, in that county is feasible. In any ordinance the board shall prescribe whether the sheriff, the probation officer, the director of the county department of corrections, or the superintendent of a county industrial farm or industrial road camp in the county shall perform the functions of the work furlough administrator. The board may, in that ordinance, provide for the performance of any or all functions of the work furlough administrator by any one or more of those persons, acting separately or jointly as to any of the functions; and may, by a subsequent ordinance, revise the provisions within the authorization of this section. The board of supervisors may also terminate the operation of this section, either with respect to employment, job training, or education in the county, if the board finds by ordinance that because of changed circumstances, the operation of this section, either with respect to employment, job training, or education in that county, is no longer feasible.
(2) Notwithstanding any other law, the board of supervisors may by ordinance designate a facility for confinement of prisoners classified for the work furlough program and designate the work furlough administrator as the custodian of the facility. The work furlough administrator may operate the work furlough facility or, with the approval of the board of supervisors, administer the work furlough facility pursuant to written contracts with appropriate public or private agencies or private entities. No agency or private entity may operate a work furlough program or facility without a written contract with the work furlough administrator, and no agency or private entity entering into a written contract may itself employ any person who is in the work furlough program. The sheriff or director of the county department of corrections, as the case may be, is authorized to transfer custody of prisoners to the work furlough administrator to be confined in a facility for the period during which they are in the work furlough program.
(3) All privately operated local work furlough facilities and programs shall be under the jurisdiction of, and subject to the terms of a written contract entered into with, the work furlough administrator. Each contract shall include, but not be limited to, a provision whereby the private agency or entity agrees to operate in compliance with all appropriate state and local building, zoning, health, safety, and fire statutes, ordinances, and regulations and the minimum jail standards for Type IV facilities as established by regulations adopted by the Board of State and Community Corrections. The private agency or entity shall select and train its personnel in accordance with selection and training requirements adopted by the Board of State and Community Corrections as set forth in Subchapter 1 (commencing with Section 100) of Chapter 1 of Division 1 of Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations. Failure to comply with the appropriate health, safety, and fire laws or minimum jail standards adopted by the board may be cause for termination of the contract. Upon discovery of a failure to comply with these requirements, the work furlough administrator shall notify the privately operated program director that the contract may be canceled if the specified deficiencies are not corrected within 60 days.
(4) All private work furlough facilities and programs shall be inspected biennially by the Board of State and Community Corrections unless the work furlough administrator requests an earlier inspection pursuant to Section 6031.1. Each private agency or entity shall pay a fee to the Board of State and Community Corrections commensurate with the cost of those inspections and a fee commensurate with the cost of the initial review of the facility.
(b) When a person is convicted and sentenced to the county jail, or is imprisoned in the county jail for nonpayment of a fine, for contempt, or as a condition of probation for any criminal offense, the work furlough administrator may, if the administrator concludes that the person is a fit subject to continue in the person’s regular employment, direct that the person be permitted to continue in that employment, if that is compatible with the requirements of subdivision (c), or may authorize the person to secure employment for themselves, unless the court at the time of sentencing or committing has ordered that the person not be granted work furloughs. The work furlough administrator may, if the administrator concludes that the person is a fit subject to continue in the person’s job training program, direct that the person be permitted to continue in that job training program, if that is compatible with the requirements of subdivision (c), or may authorize the person to secure local job training for themselves, unless the court at the time of sentencing has ordered that person not be granted work furloughs. The work furlough administrator may, if the administrator concludes that the person is a fit subject to continue in the person’s regular educational program, direct that the person be permitted to continue in that educational program, if that is compatible with the requirements of subdivision (c), or may authorize the person to secure education for themselves, unless the court at the time of sentencing has ordered that person not be granted work furloughs.
(c) If the work furlough administrator so directs that the prisoner be permitted to continue in the prisoner’s regular employment, job training, or educational program, the administrator shall arrange for a continuation of that employment or for that job training or education, so far as possible without interruption. If the prisoner does not have regular employment or a regular job training or educational program, and the administrator has authorized the prisoner to secure employment, job training, or education for themselves, the prisoner may do so, and the administrator may assist the prisoner in doing so. Any employment, job training, or education so secured shall be suitable for the prisoner. The employment, and the job training or educational program if it includes earnings by the prisoner, shall be at a wage at least as high as the prevailing wage for similar work in the area where the work is performed and in accordance with the prevailing working conditions in that area. In no event may any employment, job training, or educational program involving earnings by the prisoner be permitted where there is a labor dispute in the establishment in which the prisoner is, or is to be, employed, trained, or educated.
(d) (1) Whenever the prisoner is not employed or being trained or educated and between the hours or periods of employment, training, or education, the prisoner shall be confined in the facility designated by the board of supervisors for work furlough confinement unless the work furlough administrator directs otherwise. If the prisoner is injured during a period of employment, job training, or education, the work furlough administrator shall have the authority to release the prisoner from the facility for continued medical treatment by private physicians or at medical facilities at the expense of the employer, workers’ compensation insurer, or the prisoner. The release shall not be construed as assumption of liability by the county or work furlough administrator for medical treatment obtained.
(2) The work furlough administrator may release any prisoner classified for the work furlough program for a period not to exceed 72 hours for medical, dental, or psychiatric care, or for family emergencies or pressing business which would result in severe hardship if the release were not granted, or to attend those activities as the administrator deems may effectively promote the prisoner’s successful return to the community, including, but not limited to, an attempt to secure housing, employment, entry into educational programs, or participation in community programs.
(e) The earnings of the prisoner may be collected by the work furlough administrator, and it shall be the duty of the prisoner’s employer to transmit the wages to the administrator at the latter’s request. Earnings levied upon pursuant to writ of execution or in other lawful manner shall not be transmitted to the administrator. If the administrator has requested transmittal of earnings prior to levy, that request shall have priority. In a case in which the functions of the administrator are performed by a sheriff, and the sheriff receives a writ of execution for the earnings of a prisoner subject to this section but has not yet requested transmittal of the prisoner’s earnings pursuant to this section, the sheriff shall first levy on the earnings pursuant to the writ. When an employer or educator transmits earnings to the administrator pursuant to this subdivision, the sheriff shall have no liability to the prisoner for those earnings. From the earnings the administrator shall pay the prisoner’s board and personal expenses, both inside and outside the jail, and shall deduct so much of the costs of administration of this section as is allocable to the prisoner or if the prisoner is unable to pay that sum, a lesser sum as is reasonable, and, in an amount determined by the administrator, shall pay the support of the prisoner’s dependents, if any. If sufficient funds are available after making the foregoing payments, the administrator may, with the consent of the prisoner, pay, in whole or in part, the preexisting debts of the prisoner. Any balance shall be retained until the prisoner’s discharge. Upon discharge the balance shall be paid to the prisoner.
(f) The prisoner shall be eligible for time credits pursuant to Sections 4018 and 4019.
(g) If the prisoner violates the conditions laid down for the prisoner’s conduct, custody, job training, education, or employment, the work furlough administrator may order the balance of the prisoner’s sentence to be spent in actual confinement.
(h) Willful failure of the prisoner to return to the place of confinement not later than the expiration of any period during which the prisoner is authorized to be away from the place of confinement pursuant to this section is punishable as provided in Section 4532.
(i) The court may recommend or refer a person to the work furlough administrator for consideration for placement in the work furlough program or a particular work furlough facility. The recommendation or referral of the court shall be given great weight in the determination of acceptance or denial for placement in the work furlough program or a particular work furlough facility.
(j) As used in this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) “Education” includes vocational and educational training and counseling, and psychological, drug abuse, alcoholic, and other rehabilitative counseling.
(2) “Educator” includes a person or institution providing that training or counseling.
(3) “Employment” includes care of children, including the daytime care of children of the prisoner.
(4) “Job training” may include, but shall not be limited to, job training assistance.
(k) This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Cobey Work Furlough Law.”
(l) This section shall become operative July 1, 2021.
(Repealed (in Sec. 55) and added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 92, Sec. 56. (AB 1869) Effective September 18, 2020. Operative July 1, 2021, by its own provisions.)